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Time of India
01-06-2025
- Time of India
MGNREGA scam widens, minister's son held again in Dahod
Vadodara: The Dahod police on Sunday arrested Balvant Khabad, son of state's minister of state for panchayat and agriculture, Bachubhai Khabad, in connection with a fresh FIR linked to irregularities in MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) works. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The arrest comes just days after Balvant was granted bail in a related case. Balvant, along with his brother Kiran Khabad, was earlier arrested after the first FIR was lodged in April. Both were granted bail on May 29, but Kiran was immediately arrested again in another case. Balvant was taken into custody on Sunday after Dahod 'B' Division police registered a third FIR against him on May 31. "According to the latest complaint, Balvant's firm, Shree Raj Construction Company, Pipero, fraudulently received Rs 33.86 lakh from the govt without supplying the materials required for a MGNREGA project in Bhanpur village of Dhanpur taluka, during 2022–23," said deputy superintendent of police Jagdishsinh Bhandari. This marks the third FIR related to the alleged Rs 71 crore scam, in which multiple agencies were paid despite not completing assigned work or supplying required materials under MGNREGA schemes between 2021 and 2024. Forged documents and bogus work completion certificates were allegedly used to claim payments. Balvant and Kiran are listed as proprietors of construction agencies operating in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas. In the second FIR, registered on May 29, agencies — including one owned by Kiran — allegedly received Rs 18.41 lakh for incomplete work in Lavaria village under MGNREGA. Police say that the scam involves collusion between private contractors and govt employees, and further arrests are likely as the investigation continues.
NDTV
31-05-2025
- NDTV
Gujarat Minister's Son Re-Arrested After Getting Bail In MGNREGA 'Scam'
Dahod, Gujarat: The son of Gujarat minister Bachubhai Khabad was arrested immediately after he was granted bail in another case connected to MGNREGA works, a senior police official said on Friday. Kiran Khabad, son of Gujarat minister of state for panchayat and agriculture, was arrested two weeks ago for alleged involvement in a Rs 71 crore Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scam unearthed last month in Dahod. "c was arrested on Thursday night after he came out of jail on bail in the first FIR. He was arrested in a fresh case lodged by Dahod police. As per the fresh FIR, some agencies, including Kiran, received payments from the government without completing work allotted to them under MGNREGA," said Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagdishsinh Bhandari. As per the fresh FIR lodged by Dahod 'B' division police on Thursday evening against agency owners and government officials, payment of Rs 18.41 lakh has been made to agencies despite incomplete work carried out in Lavaria village of Dahod under MGNREGA. Kiran was arrested along with his brother Balvant two weeks ago after the Dahod police registered an FIR of cheating, forgery and breach of trust against unidentified persons, including government employees, following the unearthing of a Rs 71 crore scam by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA). As per the FIR, they had not completed the assigned work or supplied the required materials between 2021 and 2024 but claimed payments by submitting bogus work completion certificates and forged documents. According to police, Balvant and Kiran are proprietors of agencies implicated in fraudulent MGNREGA projects carried out in the Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of Dahod district. After their remand ended, both of them were sent to judicial custody and subsequently granted bail by a local court on Thursday.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Gujarat Minister's second son arrested in ₹71 crore MGNREGA scam
Police have arrested Gujarat Minister Bachubhai Khabad's son Kiran in connection with a ₹71 crore Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scam, two days after taking his elder brother Balvant into custody. Deputy Superintendent of Police and Investigating Officer Jagdishsinh Bhandari on Monday (May 19, 2025) confirmed that three more individuals were arrested along with Mr. Kiran, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 11. The seven persons arrested earlier include the minister's elder son, Balvant. 'On Monday (May 19, 2025), police arrested the minister's younger son Kiran, a former Taluka Development Officer (TDO), and two Assistant Programming Officers (APO),'Mr. Bhandari said. According to police, the accused were involved in a fraudulent scheme where several contracted agencies received payments from the government without completing the assigned work or supplying the required materials under the MGNREGA. The scam allegedly involved 35 agency owners, who colluded with government officials to siphon off ₹71 crore between 2021 and 2024 by submitting bogus work completion certificates and forged documents to claim payments under MGNREGA. Minister Bachubhai Khabad, who represents the Devgadh Baria constituency, currently serves as the Minister of State for Panchayat and Agriculture. 'His sons, Balvant and Kiran, are proprietors of agencies implicated in fraudulent MGNREGA projects carried out in the Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of Dahod district, a tribal-dominated region,' the police officer said. The First Information Report (FIR), filed last month, includes charges of cheating, forgery, and breach of trust against unidentified individuals, including government employees. The investigation began after the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) uncovered the scam during field inspections, revealing that payments had been made for infrastructure projects, such as roads, check walls, and stone bunds, that were never actually constructed. Furthermore, police noted that payments were also issued to agencies ineligible for government contracts or those that never participated in the official tendering process. The investigation is underway.
The Wire
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Cops Arrest Gujarat Minister's Second Son in Alleged MGNREGS Funds Scam
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Government Cops Arrest Gujarat Minister's Second Son in Alleged MGNREGS Funds Scam The Wire Staff 3 minutes ago Bachubhai Khabad is the minister of state for panchayat and agriculture. Gujarat minister of state for panchayat and agriculture Bachubhai Khabad. Photo: Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now New Delhi: Days after taking Gujarat minister Bachubhai Khabad's elder son Balvant into custody in connection with a 71 crore Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) scam, the state police on Monday (May 19) arrested his younger son Kiran in the same case. 'On Monday, police arrested the minister's younger son Kiran, a former taluka development officer (TDO), and two assistant programming officers (APO),' said deputy superintendent of police and investigating officer in the case Jagdishsinh Bhandari, reported Press Trust of India. The police have said that the accused were involved in a fraudulent scheme wherein different contracted agencies received payments from the government without finishing the assigned work or supplying the required materials under MGNREGS. Officials said that Balvant and Kiran are proprietors of such agencies which are implicated in the scam involving fraudulent MGNREGS projects in the state. Khabad, the father of both the arrested accused, is the minister of state for panchayat and agriculture. The police had started the investigation after during field visits, it was found by the district rural development agency (DRDA) that while payments were made for infrastructure projects such as roads, check wells and stone bunds, they were never actually constructed. It was also found that those agencies which were ineligible for government contracts along with those which didn't even participate in the official tendering process were issued payments. Earlier, Balvant was nabbed by the police in Dahod. According to the police, some agencies which had been contracted for various works, did not finish the projects but received payment from the government. These agencies produced bogus bills. Balvant is one of the owners of these agencies and is accused of committing fraud in 'areas under Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of tribal-dominated Dahod district. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Police Arrest Gujarat Minister's Son in Rs 71-Crore MGNREGS Funds Scam Demand For Work Under MGNREGS Goes Up, Actual Job Creation Declines: Report 'Gujarat Samachar' Co-Owner Bahubali Shah's Arrest and Bail: Here's What Happened Gujarat Samachar Owner Held by ED, Congress Says Critical Writing Against Modi Govt Led to Arrest Supreme Court Flags ED's 'Pattern of Allegations Without Any Evidence' Seshachalam Tragedy: A Decade of Silence and Desperate Call for Justice SC Dismisses Former IPS Officer Sanjiv Bhatt's Plea Seeking Bail and Suspension of Life Sentence Poonch Rallies Around Muslim Cleric Killed in Pak Shelling Who Was Labelled 'Terrorist' By TV Channels UP: Over Two Dozen People Arrested for 'Anti-National' and 'Misleading' Posts on Operation Sindoor View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
The Wire
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Police Arrest Gujarat Minister's Son in Rs 71-Crore MGNREGS Funds Scam
Balvant Khabad and his father Bachubhai (right). Photo: Social media. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Donate now New Delhi: Gujarat police has arrested the son of a minister in an alleged Rs 71-crore scam involving funds of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Bachubhai Khabad's son, Balvant Khabad, was nabbed by the police in Dahod. According to the police, some agencies which had been contracted for various works, did not finish the projects but received payment from the government. These agencies produced bogus bills, NDTV reported. Balvant is one of the owners of these agencies. His father is Minister of State for Panchayat and Agriculture and an MLA from Devgadhbariya constituency. Balvant is accused of committing fraud in 'areas under Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of tribal-dominated Dahod district', the report said. A former Taluka Development Officer (TDO), Darshan Patel, has also been arrested. Both of them have been remanded to five days of police custody, Indian Express reported. 'We conducted a primary investigation, and it came to light that an agency being run by Balvantsinh Khabad, which supplies goods to MGNREGA projects, had put forth bills for certain amounts without delivering the entire list of goods,' Jagdish Bhandari, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Dahod District said to Express. 'The probe is ongoing and we are yet to ascertain the exact amount of mis-dealings. We have been granted five days' police remand for both the accused arrested today,' Bhandari added. Congress has alleged that the government did not act despite repeated complaints. It has now demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) should probe the matter. 'Despite repeated complaints of corruption in the MGNREGA scheme in Dahod, where projects have not been executed on the ground but bills have been cleared, the government did not take steps. The Congress has been raising the issue time and again, in writing and orally, as well as through questions in the Assembly,' Amit Chavda, a Congress leader said, according to Express.
